Energy
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Regulatory flaws in Clean Energy Package, part 2: Can bad legislation deliver good regulation?
New rules on the internal electricity market, part of the Clean Energy Package (CEP), will soon be adopted. Volume, time pressure, complexity, and political weight took a toll on legislative quality – possibly leading to cumbersome implementation, writes Juliusz Kowalczyk.
Ukraine’s elections highlight deep divides over natural gas
The direction of Ukraine’s energy policies is of great interest to observers in Brussels and the European capitals, as a stable and prosperous Ukraine would increase overall European energy security, writes Robert Rapier.
Four things the EU should do to strengthen climate action before this mandate ends
EU institutions still have time for a series of concrete actions to strengthen climate policy before their mandate ends and get their successors off to a flying start, write Sanjeev Kumar and Edward Robinson.
Aviation risks undercutting EU’s new renewables rules
The ink is barely dry on the EU’s revised renewable energy policy and already it is under threat from the aviation sector, warn Jori Sihvonen and Andrew Murphy.
Germany’s coal phase out plans must accelerate to meet Paris goals
Germany needs to phase out coal-fired power by 2030 in order to maximise the economic and social benefits of the zero-carbon transition, and deliver its commitment as part of the Paris Agreement, writes Nigel Topping.
Big fat Greek lignite sale burns EU climate policies
While other EU countries, such as Germany, announce plans for coal phase-out within the next 20 years in compliance with their Paris Agreement commitments, Greece’s future appears locked in carbon for decades to come, write Demetres Karavellas and Nikos Charalambides.
Smart thermostats prove their worth, leading the way to smarter homes
Advanced thermostats have seen a steady uptake and are reaching a higher level of market maturity. They have potential for setting a precedent for smart tech in the future, writes Paige Leuschner.
Romania keeps giving state aid to coal even as it holds EU presidency
Romania is continuing to prop up its ailing coal sector, blatantly ignoring EU state aid rules, even as the country claims to be defending EU values while holding the rotating presidency of the bloc, writes Alexandru Mustață.
Circular economy must remain a priority for Europe beyond the 2019 elections
The Circular Economy Package and Plastics Strategy have set a high-level framework to improve the resource efficiency of the European economy. But to be effective, this framework must remain a policy priority for the next European Commission and Parliament, writes Nick Molho.
Trilateral gas talks: A realistic approach towards ship-or-pay is needed
Despite new projects such as Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream, the transit of gas via Ukraine will continue, and the modalities need to be agreed, writes Danila Bochkarev.
How to ramp up energy efficiency investment for Europe’s net-zero emissions future
Making finance and investments sustainable is essential to achieving a net-zero emissions world by 2050. And energy efficiency has the single biggest role to play, writes Peter Sweatman.
EU at risk of missing 2020 energy efficiency targets: Lessons for 2030
EU energy consumption is rising despite targets to reduce demand across Europe. This should not come as a surprise and is explained mainly by GDP growth, writes Samuel Thomas.
Climate action: Seeds of hope for 2019
While there is a growing recognition of the need for climate action, last year taught us that for a sustainable long-term energy transition to be effective, the roadmap to get there needs to be inclusive and citizen-driven, writes Imke Lübbeke.
EU needs clean vehicle procurement rules to boost e-mobility in cities
Many European countries and cities have implemented measures to promote e-mobility. But to create scale in Europe, a constellation of disconnected initiatives is not enough to drive the needed change and action must be taken at a European level, writes Folker Franz.
How a gas pipeline to Europe is transforming the Turkish-Israeli relationship
The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance, writes Joseph Dana.
Biogas in Germany: Maintaining momentum
With the European Parliament backing a net zero emissions target for 2050, EU member states will need to further develop their biogas markets to continue to reduce emissions from waste, energy, and transport, write Benjamin Budde and David Newman.
Three ways companies and cities are taking the lead on climate change
As the COP24 drew to a close last weekend, it was hard not be concerned by the political rifts the process has revealed, notably regarding the IPCC’s 1.5C report. But in the real economy there are clear reasons for optimism, writes Nicolette Bartlett.Promoted content
Taking buildings to the next level(s), sustainably!
Stakeholders gather today to exchange on the future use of Level(s), a European voluntary reporting framework to improve the sustainability of buildings. Level(s) could be the basis for a future European construction-sector policy, where energy regulations could be extended to cover other environmental and social criteria.Promoted content
75% capacity thresholds – do we really know what we are doing?
What is the point of building more and more grid, if we are not able to fully use what we have? Nothing is for free. Consumers are now paying the bill for all market inefficiencies, including transmission expansion beyond their reasonable needs, according to Poland's transmission system operator.
Energy markets will deliver the flexible, decarbonised power system needed, not capacity markets
Energy only markets will enable the integration of the European electricity market and development of the flexible resources needed to support a decarbonised future. Philip Baker and Michael Hogan offer a critique to RTE’s Impact Assessment of the French Capacity Market.Special ReportPromoted content
The air we need to breathe
Local infrastructure companies like Wiener Stadtwerke are already working hard to achieve the ambitious EU climate and energy goals for 2050. We can innovate and incite changes – but only if a supportive European regulatory framework is in place, writes Peter Weinelt.
Clean power for data centres
As big data, digital content, and e-commerce continue to drive explosive growth in power demand for data centres, it is crucial to understand the reliability and sustainability of power supplied to these facilities, writes Pritil Gunjan.Promoted content
Power generation and transmission: quite far from a well-orchestrated symphony
The rise of renewables will require using the grid more efficiently. However, you cannot expect this from the market that neglects the grid as its fundamental assumption, write Konrad Purchała and Piotr Koryś.